Solid oxide fuel cell with improved current collection

ABSTRACT

A solid oxide fuel cell comprises a plurality of tubes, each having an anode, electrolyte and cathode. Anode and cathode current collectors are mounted on the tubes. The anode current collector electrically connects to the anode and can have a contact with the anode. The cathode current collector electrically connects to the cathode and can have a contact with the cathode. An electrically conductive sealant may be positioned between the anode of one tube and the cathode current collector of another tube.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/520,939 filed on Nov. 17, 2003.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to improved current collection for solid oxide fuel cells and more particularly, to current collection for solid oxide fuel cells of lightweight design.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFCs) is a type of fuel cell which reacts a fuel gas with an oxidant to generate DC electric current. SOFCs comprises an anode, an electrolyte and a cathode, and have been made from a variety of materials and in a variety of geometries. Fuel processing is required to render hydrocarbon fuels (such as propane, butane, etc.) suitable for SOFCs. For example, known designs for fuel processors include those done with a separate external reactor where a catalytic substrate processes a hydrocarbon fuel such as butane (C₄H₁₀), propane (C₃H₈) or diesel fuel (JP-8 or JET-A) to a suitable fuel gas such containing carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H₂). CO and Hydrogen gas are then oxidized at an active area of a SOFC to carbon dioxide and water, with DC current generated. Non hydrocarbon fuels such as ammonia (NH₃) can also be transformed into SOFC fuel using one or more catalytic reactions.

Current collectors are used on known SOFCs to collect electric current generated by the fuel cell. Good electrical conductance is important for increasing recovery of the electrical energy generated by the fuel cell. However, the harsh environment of a fuel cell can make current collection difficult. Fuel cell current collectors must be chemically and thermally robust, as they are exposed to oxidative stresses, reductive stresses, and operating temperatures in the range of about 500-950° C. Known current collectors used in tube-shaped SOFC designs include the so-called “Westinghouse” design where a strip of a lanthanum-chromite ceramic runs along the length of the fuel cell, and a nickel felt electrically connects an electrode of one tube to an electrode of another tube. This design is disadvantageous for several reasons, including the expense of the ceramic, the fact it is a relatively low strength and brittle material, and that each tube must be rigidly connected to its adjacent tube. Portable fuel cell designs can be subject to physical stresses and shocks, etc., and low strength, brittle materials are ill suited for such use.

It has also been known to use silver wires as current collectors, as they are capable of operating in high temperatures and are resistant to oxidation. Known designs have used silver wire wrapped around the cathode of a tubular SOFC in a spiral fashion. Such spiral wires, however, do not make reliable electric contacts as they can move with respect to the tube. This is true even if tightly attached when assembled, as elastically tight fits are relaxed at the high operating temperatures of fuel cells.

It would be desirable to provide a solid oxide fuel cell with a current collector of a simple, lightweight design which is also robust in construction and capable of withstanding thermal cycling and expected physical stresses.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a first aspect, a solid oxide fuel cell stack comprises a plurality of tubes, each having an anode, electrolyte and cathode. Anode and cathode current collectors are mounted on the tubes. The anode current collector electrically connects to the anode and can have a contact with the anode. The cathode current collector electrically connects to the cathode and can have a contact with the cathode. An electrically conductive sealant may be positioned between the anode of one tube and the cathode current collector of another tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic of a solid oxide fuel cell with internal processing in accordance with a preferred embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross section view of the solid oxide fuel cell of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a manifold and a series of SOFC tubes.

FIG. 4 shows a pair of SOFC tubes with anode and cathode current collectors.

FIG. 5 is an axial cross section taken along the lines 5-5 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross section view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 4, at an interconnect area.

FIG. 7 is a cross section view taken along lines 7-7 in FIG. 4, at the active area.

FIG. 8 is an alternate preferred embodiment of the anode current collector using a brush.

FIG. 9 is a simplified schematic showing just two wires exiting the thermal enclosure, providing power to a load.

FIG. 10 is an alternate preferred embodiment where the plurality of tubes are electrically connected in parallel.

It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various preferred features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the solid fuel cell as disclosed here, including, for example, specific dimensions of the catalytic substrate will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment. Certain features of the illustrated embodiments have been enlarged or distorted relative to others for visualization and clear understanding. In particular, thin features may be thickened, for example, for clarity of illustration. All references to direction and position, unless otherwise indicated, refer to the orientation of the solid state electrochemical device illustrated in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that is, to those who have knowledge or experience in this area of technology, that many uses and design variations are possible for the fuel cells disclosed herein. The following detailed discussion of various alternative and preferred features and embodiments will illustrate the general principles of the invention with reference to current collection for use with a solid oxide fuel cell (“SOFC”). Other embodiments suitable for other applications will be apparent to those skilled in the art given the benefit of this disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a schematic of a solid oxide fuel cell 10 and surrounding componentry in accordance with a preferred embodiment. The fuel cell 10 generates power to run a load or device 30 or to provide power to a secondary device 28 (such as charging a battery). Control electronics 24 and power electronics 26 may be mounted to control the power generation of the SOFC. A fuel tank 20 contains a fuel (typically butane, propane, diesel, JET-A, etc.) and a fuel regulator or pump 22 delivers the fuel into a thermal enclosure 12 defined by insulation. An air pump 14 pumps air into the thermal enclosure.

The SOFC 10 generates significant heat during operation (on the order of 600-950° C.) and is preferably mounted within the thermal enclosure 12. The SOFC is most efficient at these high temperatures, and therefore several design features have been incorporated to heat incoming fuel gas and incoming air at the thermal enclosure 12. FIG. 2 shows a schematic of the thermal enclosure of FIG. 1. The air pump pumps air from a cold air inlet 36 to a recuperator 16. The recuperator is essentially a heat exchanger which transfers some of the heat from exhaust to the incoming air supplied to the cathode. Ambient air for fuel processing is supplied to mix with the fuel in a fuel air mixer 38 in a predetermined ratio, preferably having a sub-stoichiometric quantity of oxygen so that processing of the fuel gas takes place at the catalytic substrate 32 as described in greater detail below. Processing is understood here to mean conversion of a fuel to a processed gas which can be used by the SOFC 10, typically containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas. The heated air circulates along the active area and participates in electrochemically transforming the fuel gas into electricity and exhaust gases.

The fuel-air mixture is introduced into the thermal enclosure through a series of tubes 40. The actual number of tubes depends in part on the desired power output of the SOFC. A plurality of tubes is preferably mounted on a manifold 45. As seen in FIG. 3, each tube 40 has an interior 41 and an exterior 43. Preferably an anode material is positioned on the interior, and an electrolyte 47 exteriorly surrounds the anode. The entire tube 40 may have an interior layer of anode and a layer of electrolyte circumferentially surrounding the anode, so that the anode is remote from the exterior 43 of the tube and the electrolyte is remote from the interior 41 of the tube. A cathode is positioned around the exterior 43 of the tube 40, defining an active area 44, also preferably remote from the interior of the tube. The anode and electrolyte may be formed together by coextrusion; alternatively, the anode may be formed first and the electrolyte and cathode added in later steps.

Fuel gas flows from the manifold 45, then to the catalytic substrate 32, and then to the active area 44 within each tube. The catalytic substrate may be positioned immediately preceding (in terms of fuel gas flow) the active area and within the thermal enclosure so that heat generated at the catalytic substrate helps preheat the fuel gases. That is, air from air inlet 36 passes through the recuperator 16 and is heated by an exhaust stream of gases moving separately through the recuperator. For further heating, the air travels through an air inlet tube 58 past the active areas 44 of the fuel cells to an area generally adjacent the catalytic substrates 32. Residual oxygen in the heated inlet air is used to completely combust any residual fuel in the exhaust stream at the burner region 97. A catalytic element may be positioned at the burner region to help with combustion. Once the reaction is complete, exhaust gas is routed through exhaust tube 60, through the recuperator 16, and out of the thermal enclosure. Thus, the major inlets and outlets to the thermal enclosure are air inlet 36, fuel gas inlet 38, and exhaust gas outlet 60.

Such fuel cell designs are advantageously relatively light in weight, and provide good power density to mass ratios. As an example of a lightweight design each tube 40 can comprise a 1 mm-20 mm diameter tube. Thin, lightweight tubes are also advantageous in that the tubes hold less heat, allowing the fuel cell to be heated rapidly. The tubes preferably have at least three layers, an inner layer of anode, a middle layer of electrolyte, and an outer layer of cathode. The anode comprises, for example, a porous cermet of nickel and yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The electrolyte can comprise a thin membrane of YSZ. The cathode can comprise, for example, a porous lanthanum strontium manganate (LSM). An example of a suitable fuel cell tube shaped anode, electrolyte and cathode is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,749,799 to Crumm et al, entitled METHOD FOR PREPARATION OF SOLID STATE ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICE and hereby incorporated by reference. Other material combinations for the anode, electrolyte and cathode, as well as other cross section geometries (triangular, square, polygonal, etc.) will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art given the benefit of this disclosure.

Anode and cathode current collectors 70, 71 may be mounted within and around the tubes 40, respectively, preferably at or near the active area 44 to capture electric current generated when the fuel gases traveling inside the tubes 40 are electrochemically reacted with oxidant gases outside the tubes (FIG. 4). Extending along the length of the tube 40 along its interior 41 is the anode 49, and extending circumferentially around the anode 49 is the electrolyte 47. Advantageously, the cathode 48 need only be positioned at the active area 44, shown in FIG. 4 positioned circumferentially around at least part of the tube. The catalytic substrate 32 is positioned within the tube and spaced upstream (as defined by flow of fuel gas) from the active area 44. A spacer element 46 may be provided which physically isolates the catalytic substrate 32 from the tube 40.

FIG. 4 shows one preferred embodiment of how electric current is generated and transferred from each tube using current collectors where the tube's electrodes are electrically connected in series. A series connection of multiple tubes produces DC power at a voltage which is a sum of the potential of the individual tubes. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10, the tube's electrodes are electrically connected in parallel, which produces DC power at a low potential, but with a large current representing the sum of the current generated by each tube. Anode current collector 270 is connected between anodes of corresponding tubes, and cathode current collector 271 is connected between cathodes of corresponding tubes. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure, that fuel designs having a plurality of tubes may also have a combination of some tubes connected in series and some connected in parallel.

As shown in FIG. 4 the cathode current collector 71 electrically connects the cathode 48 of one tube to the anode 49 of another tube. The cathode current collector is exposed to air (oxygen) and high temperatures, and therefore must not melt and must be resistant to oxidative stress. The cathode current collector 71 preferably comprises ribbons of metal or wires and a cathode contact 77. The tube 40 has a longitudinal axis 98, and in accordance with a highly advantageous feature, the cathode current collector comprises at least one wire 73 which has a linear segment 97 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis 98 of the tube. The linear segments 97 of several wires are snugly wedged against an entire length of the cathode contact 77 or cathode 48 (corresponding to the active area 44) to increase current carrying capability. A wire 83 can be wrapped around the linear segments 97, and can help to hold the linear segments to the cathode contact and help collect current generated circumferentially. The wires can comprise, for example, fine gauge wire allowing the wires to be somewhat flexible. A single large gauge wire may be too stiff, as it is advantageous to allow for some play in the fuel cell to absorb energy when subjected to irregular stresses. Irregular stresses and shock loading would be expected with a portable, lightweight solid oxide fuel cell. An example of a suitable wire for use in such cathode current collector is 250 micron silver wire. The wires can also comprise, for example platinum, palladium, gold, alloys of the aforementioned metals and iron, nickel and cobalt-based alloys oxidation resistant at high temperatures, known to those skilled in the art as high temperature alloys.

In general it is desirable to reduce ohmic loss and cathode overpotential. Further, any materials applied over the cathode must be electrically conductive (so that electrons generated as a result of the electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell can be collected) and permeable to oxygen (so that oxygen can reach the active area and enter the electrochemical reaction). In accordance with a highly advantageous feature, it has been found that application of silver metal at the cathode reduces ohmic loss and cathode overpotential. One example of such a cathode contact 77 is the application of a SPI 5002 HighPurity Silver Paint from Structure Probe, Inc. silver paint over the active area 44 in a layer about 10 to 100 microns thick. FIG. 7 shows the cathode contact in cross section positioned on the cathode 48. The silver metal may also act to secure the wires to the cathode.

FIG. 5 is a cross section view taken through one of the tubes of FIG. 4. The anode current collector 70 is shown as a series of one or more wires 72 extending in the lumen of the tube adjacent anode 49. FIG. 6 is taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5 at the interconnect area 76 and shows three wires, all in electrical contact with one another. The wire diameters may preferably be set so that the three wires fit snugly inside the tube to promote good electrical contact with that anode while leaving space between the wires for the passage of gas. The electrolyte 47 is shown as only partially removed from the interconnect area 76. Alternatively, the entire electrolyte may be removed. Preferably the wires may be inserted at one end of the tube and extend past the burner area 78, along both the interconnect area 76, past the gap area 79 and then extend along the active area 44. Alternatively the wires can be replaced with a ribbon or a brush 87 having a stem wire 89 and fill wire 88, as shown in the alternate preferred embodiment of the anode current collector 170 shown in FIG. 8. The wires or brushes can comprise an electrically conducting metal. Since the wires are positioned in the processed fuel gas (an atmosphere with little oxygen), the wires may be made of copper, a copper alloy or other electrically conductive material suitable for the reductive environment within the fuel cell tube.

In accordance with a highly advantageous feature, it has been found that current collection is enhanced when the anode current collector 70 further comprises an anode contact 74 which physically and electrically connects the anode 49 to the wires 72. The anode contact 74 can be porous to the fuel gas and can comprise, for example, a paint containing copper oxide which is applied to the wire or wires 72 prior to their insertion into the tubes. Alternatively, the anode contact may be intermittently applied to the wires to allow the processed gas to reach the anode. Upon heating in the fuel gas atmosphere, the copper oxide particles in the paint reduce to copper metal, creating a porous sintered metal contact 74 between the wires 72 and the anode 49. Other materials suitable for creating a porous contact include metal oxides such as nickel oxide.

Electrical connection is required between a current collector and the anode within the tube. However, the electrolyte is not electrically conductive, and forms an electrically nonconductive gap 79 around the exterior of each tube between the active area 44 and the interconnect area 76. Electrical connection between the anode and outside the tube is accomplished at the interconnect area 76, where a conductive sealant 75 is applied. In addition to being electrically conductive, the conductive sealant 75 must also be oxidative and reductive resistant, it must be relatively insensitive to high temperatures, it must be gas impermeable (not porous) and it must bind to the substrate below, the anode 49. As an example of a suitable material for the conductive sealant 75 a frit containing a noble metal or noble metal alloy may be used which extends circumferentially around the anode 49. An example is the platinum frit Conductrox 3804 Pt Conductor manufactured by Ferro Electronic Materials. Other materials suitable for use as a conductive sealant, include noble metals and their alloys, and conductive oxides, and high temperature alloys.

In operation, processed fuel gas flows through each of the tubes, arriving at the active area 44 first, then passing the insulating gap area 79. Gap 79 is insulating on the exterior of the tubes, as the anode and any conducting materials at the interior of the tube with respect to the electrically nonconducting electrolyte. From the gap area, the exhaust gases and remaining processes gases pass through the interconnect area 76 to the burner area 78 and ejected outside the tube where any remaining processed gas may be burned. Advantageously, the anode current collector wires need only extend from the burner region to the active area.

Whether the electrodes of the tubes are electrically connected in series or in parallel, the cathode and anode current collectors 70, 71 are designed to collect current from all of the tubes and transmit that current out of the thermal enclosure 12. When connected in series, all but a last one of the cathode current collectors 71 connects the cathode of one tube to the anode of another tube. As shown schematically in FIG. 9, the anode current collector wire from the last anode and the cathode current collector wire from the last cathode in a chain of SOFC tubes connected in series are electrically connected to an external electrical load. Advantageously, only two sets of silver wires leave the thermal enclosure 12, reducing heat loss from the thermal enclosure, one set from the last cathode, and one set from the last anode, at the interconnect area.

From the foregoing disclosure and detailed description of certain preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications, additions and other alternative embodiments are possible without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to use the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled. 

1. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising, in combination: a plurality of tubes, with each tube having a longitudinal axis and comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte; and a cathode current collector on each tube; wherein the cathode current collector comprises a first wire having a linear segment extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube along the cathode.
 2. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 1 wherein the wire comprises one of silver, platinum, palladium, gold, alloys of the aforementioned metals and high temperature alloys.
 3. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 1 wherein the cathode current collector further comprises a cathode contact, wherein the cathode contact electrically connects the cathode to the wire.
 4. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 3 wherein the cathode contact is positioned on the cathode between the cathode and the wire.
 5. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 1 wherein the current collector further comprises a second wire wrapped around the corresponding tube.
 6. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 1 wherein the cathode current collector electrically connects one of the anode of one of the plurality of tubes to the cathode of another of the plurality of tubes, and the cathode of one of the plurality of tubes to the cathode of another of the plurality of tubes.
 7. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 1 wherein the cathode extends along a cathode length of the tube and the linear segment of the wire extends along the entire cathode length.
 8. The solid oxide fuel of claim 1 where the anode is on the interior of each tube and the cathode is on the exterior of each tube.
 9. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising, in combination: a plurality of tubes, with each tube comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte; and a cathode current collector on each tube comprising a cathode contact; wherein the cathode contact is positioned on the cathode, is permeable to oxygen and is electrically conductive.
 10. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 9 wherein the cathode contact comprises silver.
 11. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 9 wherein the cathode contact is a layer of paint containing silver which is about 10 to 100 microns thick.
 12. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising, in combination: a plurality of tubes, with each tube comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte; a cathode current collector on each tube electrically connecting the anode of one tube to the cathode of another tube; and an electrically conductive sealant generally impermeable to gas positioned on the tube between the anode and the cathode current collector.
 13. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 9 wherein the electrically conductive sealant comprises one of: a frit containing one of a noble metal and a noble metal alloy, a noble metal, a noble metal alloy, a conductive oxide and a high temperature alloy.
 14. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising, in combination: a plurality of tubes, with each tube comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte, wherein each of the tubes has an interconnect area an at least a portion of the electrolyte is not present at the interconnect area; and an electrically conductive sealant generally impermeable to gas positioned on the tube adjacent the anode.
 15. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 14 wherein the anode is positioned on an interior of each tube, and the electrolyte and electrically conductive sealant are exterior of the anode.
 16. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 14 wherein the electrically conductive sealant extends circumferentially around each tube.
 17. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising, in combination: a plurality of tubes, with each tube comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte; and an anode current collector on each tube, wherein the anode current collector comprises one of a wire, a ribbon and a brush positioned inside each tube, wherein the anode current collector is formed of one of copper and copper alloys.
 18. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 17 wherein each of the plurality of tubes comprises an active area with the cathode at the active area, and an interconnect area; and a cathode current collector is attached at the interconnect area.
 19. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 18 wherein the anode current collector is a wire which contacts the anode at the active area and at the interconnect area.
 20. The solid oxide fuel of claim 18 wherein the anode current collector is a wire which extends from the active area to the interconnect area.
 21. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 17 wherein the anode current collector comprises three wires which contact one another and are electrically connected to the anode.
 22. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising, in combination: a plurality of tubes, with each tube comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte, wherein the plurality of tubes are adapted to receive a processed gas; and an anode current collector on each tube comprising an anode contact; wherein the anode contact is electrically conductive and positioned against the anode, and the processed gas contacts at least a portion of the anode.
 23. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 22 wherein the anode current collector further comprises a wire, and the anode contact is positioned between the wire and the anode.
 24. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 23 wherein the wire is coated with a metal oxide and sintered to connect the wire to the anode.
 25. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 23 wherein the anode contact is porous to the processed gas.
 26. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising, in combination: a plurality of tubes adapted to interiorly receive a processed gas at one end and eject exhaust gases at the other end, with each tube comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte, where the anode is positioned on an interior of the tube and the cathode is positioned on an exterior of the tube at an electrically conductive active area; and a cathode current collector and an anode current collector; wherein the active area is separated from an electrically conductive interconnect area on the exterior by an insulating gap area, and the cathode current collector is electrically connected between the active area of one of the plurality of tubes and the anode of another of the plurality of tubes.
 27. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 25 wherein the processed gas passes the active area prior to reaching the interconnect area.
 28. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 26 further comprising a burner area, and the processed gas is burned adjacent the burner area.
 29. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 26 wherein the electrolyte is not present at the interconnect area.
 30. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 26 wherein the anode current collector extends inside the tube between the interconnect area and the active area.
 31. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising, in combination: a plurality of tubes positioned in a thermal enclosure, each adapted to interiorly receive a processed gas at one end and eject exhaust gases at the other end, with each tube comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte; and a plurality of cathode current collectors and a plurality of anode current collectors; wherein all but a last of the cathode current collectors electrically connects the cathode of one of the plurality of tubes to the anode of another of the plurality of tubes; and a last cathode current collector and a last anode current collector are electrically connected to a load outside the thermal enclosure. 